Ceremony marks completion of Longmeadow Shops expansion

LONGMEADOW — After more than two years of planning and construction, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Thursday to mark the official opening of the Longmeadow Shops expansion.

"It took the support from the community," said Steve Walker, owner of Grove Property Fund, which owns the plaza on Bliss Road. "(A community) that treasures the charm and character of this town."

The project expanded the Longmeadow Shops' retail space by about 21,000 square feet while enlarging the parking lot and adding new entrances to the plaza. It had been stymied in 2014 when Town Meeting voters, concerned about what the expansion could do to the area's character, struck down a zoning modification necessary for the plan to move forward.

In a special Town Meeting in 2015, voters approved the modification, which allowed a 20 percent increase in shared retail space along with parking and pedestrian safety improvements. Construction began in March 2016.

Last month, R-Wireless, a family-owned Verizon retailer that franchises in nine states, started business in the new section of the Longmeadow Shops, a little more than a month after J. Crew Mercantile, the first store, opened on Jan. 24.

CVS Pharmacy last month commenced business at its larger 13,100-square-foot store. One feature of the new CVS location will be a drive-thru, offering the convenience of a pick-up window for prescriptions.

Local and statewide politicians, as well as people from the local business community, made appearances at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"It's impossible to think about Longmeadow without this parcel," said state Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, before presenting Walker with a citation from the Senate.

State Rep. Brian Ashe, who grew up in Springfield's Forest Park neighborhood, also spoke of fond memories of the shops. Despite initial pushback from members of the community who feared the expansion would harm the plaza, Ashe said embracing the development paid off.

"The Shops, like a lot of things in life, have changed," Ashe said. "But it's a change for the better."

Business owners and members of the community also contributed items to a time capsule, which will be buried in an undisclosed location and dug up in 20 years, Walker said in an interview.

"Our world is changing so rapidly right now," Walker said. "It will be interesting to see how the world has changed in 20 years."